Back again! I'm kind of surprised that I'm updating so fast… *knocks on wood*. But for those reading, if I slow down a little, please be patient! I'm writing as fast as I can! :D Enjoy Chapter 4!
R&R? I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!
The Black Cat: Chapter 4
Naru was pissed, to say the least. And as much as he tried to hide it… he failed. Anyone could see that he was extremely annoyed and upset. Lin understood; even he was shocked to see what Mai had been doing. The car ride was silent, and the air around them grew tense. When they reached the building, Naru stalked in, and Lin faintly heard his office door slam shut. Tonight, a group of workers were coming to clean the building. All the furniture and knick-knacks were still there, but required serious dusting.
Naru remained in his office for a while, and Lin had to get him to move for the cleaning crew. He was still refusing to speak, something that Lin was concerned about. He tried to suggest to Naru that the scene they witnessed may have been a complete misunderstanding and that the two may just friends, but Naru wouldn't listen.
"Even if they weren't kissing," he spat out the last word, "they were still standing way too close to be 'just friends'." Lin let it go. He knew that nothing would ease Naru's mind now… Unless Mai was here to tell them what really happened. He just hoped that everything was just a misunderstanding… for both Naru and Mai's sakes.
Mai's eyes snapped open, and she sat up so fast that she almost fell off of her bed. Glancing at the clock, she jumped out of bed to get ready. 4:00 A.M. What did it matter, waking up two hours earlier? She had an investigation to do today! Well, it wasn't exactly an investigation, since Mai was almost sure of the results, but she had to check. After her conversation with Gene, she had to check as soon as humanly possible.
~Flashback~
He smiled, "Hello, Mai. I have some good news for you."
Mai's heart swelled; she had missed Gene so, so much! She ran up and wrapped her arms around him, tears leaking from her eyes. He rubbed her back like he always used to when he wanted to calm her down.
She pulled back, looking into his eyes. "But, Gene… How are you back? I thought you moved on! After all, Naru left m-… us to bury you." Mai looked down, embarrassed that she almost said 'me'. Gene laughed.
"I wish I could tell you, but… I don't really know why I'm here either. I had been prepared to leave after my casket was put into the ground, and I was… happily surprised to have nothing happen! So, I guess I'm here to help you again." Mai smiled brightly, before she turned her head and scrunched up her eyebrows.
"Wait… If nothing happened to you after your funeral, why did it take you a whole month to return? Surely your funeral happened as soon as you got back…?" Gene's smile turned into a smirk, and Mai saw a mischievous glint form in his eyes. Oh, no… what was he up to?
"Well, you see, that's the good news! I realized that I only appear around you when certain… requirements are fulfilled." Mai stared at him. Requirements? "Mai, do you remember what today is?"
Mai looked extremely confused. Today? Well, Akira confessed… But, surely, that's not it! Gene sighed, wondering if Mai was started to suffer from short-term memory loss.
"The 'one month mark'? Remember?" Mai considered this. So, it's been a month since Naru left… Causing Gene to return? But, that doesn't make any sense! …Unless… that means that since Gene returned, Naru…? Mai felt as if her eyes were going to pop out of her head. She snapped her head up, only to see Gene starting to fade, a goofy smile showing on his face.
"Gene! Does this mean? You meant that-?" Gene stopped her mid-sentence.
"Go check for yourself, Mai! Let me know what happens in your next dream!" He waved before disappearing altogether.
~End of Flashback~
Therefore, Mai needed to go see the SPR building now. She halted mid-step when she realized that she had slept in her uniform. She ripped it off, grabbed the iron from her closet, and began ironing the horrible wrinkles out of it. After fifteen torturous minutes of ironing the flipping uniform (this is why Mai usually ironed it before going to bed) Mai put it back on, hurriedly brushed her hair, and raced out the door, purse in hand.
She stopped in the hallway, briefly staring at Akira's door. "Akira, I swear I'll make up for what I did yesterday. And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but… I just can't let go of the past!" Mai whispered to his door. She touched it quickly with her hand, and then ran down the stairs as fast as she could without killing herself.
Mai bolted through the door, and down the sidewalks, only slowing down as she reached the SPR street. She turned the corner slowly, her heartbeat steadily increasing with each step she took towards the building. Mai swore she could see a light through the window, and the sign looked as if it had been cleaned recently. Were they really back…?
As she stood in front of the building's front door, Mai felt as if she was going to throw up. What if she had been wrong? What if Gene was talking about something completely different? She closed her eyes and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Well, it's worth a shot… I've got nothing to lose, she miserably thought to herself. Her hand hesitantly reached out to grab the doorknob, and Mai turned it so slowly that it seemed to take hours to open the door.
As it swung open, Mai opened one eye to peek into the doorway. A wary smile spread across her face; everything seemed as if it had just been cleaned, which meant that someone was there or had been there recently. Mai crept into the building, gently shutting the door behind her. There were a couple ways to know if they had returned. The first stop Mai made was to the kitchen, where she opened the cabinet above the sink. Her smile grew to take up more of her face: the cabinet was stocked with boxes of Naru's favorite tea. That was a good sign… Mai's second stop was the hallway and, seeing that both of the office doors were closed, Mai felt reassured once again. When the two had left, they left both doors wide open.
The last stop was to see the two in person. Which door first? After a minute or two, it hit her. Mai had thought of a fun way to welcome Naru back. As quietly as she could, Mai opened Lin's door, snuck inside, and closed the door. She looked around, before she noticed Lin typing away at his computer. A true smile graced her features. Lin was always typing on his computer and it comforted her. Also, it proved that they were back! …Or, Lin was, at least.
Mai placed a hand over her mouth as she started to creep towards Lin, trying to stifle the laugh of relief that threatened to ruin her stealth. However, as soon as she had taken a couple steps, Lin tilted his head – as if listening to someone – before he spun his chair around. Mai froze, and they both just stared at each other. Finally, Mai broke the silence by whispering a small hi to him. She was unsure if he was happy to see her or indifferent to her being there. Suddenly, Lin smiled a small smile.
"Hello, Taniyama-san. It's nice to see you again." Mai regained her smile.
"It's nice to see you, too, Lin-san!" She lowered her voice again, trying to hide her excitement, "Do you think you could help me? I want to surprise Naru by…" And she told him her plan.
Naru pinched the bridge of his nose. Why was everything suddenly so aggravating? He turned his chair so his back was facing the door and glanced out the window. Tons of people were walking by, crossing the street and going into different shops. However, out of all of these people, Naru only wanted to see one person. And as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that he needed to contact that person soon… and find out whether or not that boy outside the bakery was of importance. Every now and then Naru would stare at the phone, only to decide to go back to reading his book instead of calling her.
Knock, knock, knock!
Naru sighed, his fingers returning to the bridge of his nose. Why couldn't Lin take a hint? He wanted to be left alone. Maybe the 'silent treatment' would get him to go away.
Knock, knock, knock!
Closing his eyes, Naru tried not to think about the knocking. He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. Just ignore it. He'll go away eventually…
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
"ALRIGHT! Come in!" Naru bellowed as he laid his head back on his chair. Lin was being really persistent today… Probably because he was trying to get him to contact 'you-know-who'. Naru heard the door click open and footsteps quietly walk across the carpet.
"Lin, I've told you numerous times today, I really do not feel like talking." He stated coldly. A small noise - tink! – met his ears, followed by hurried footsteps and the sound of the door clicking shut. Well, that was….weird, Naru thought, as he turned his chair back around. His eyes locked onto his desk, where a cup of steaming tea now lay. Lin made him tea? Maybe to try and cheer him up… He was hesitant to taste it – after all, Lin had never made him tea before. It was always the maids that made him tea. With his last experience with a maid's tea in mind, Naru raised the cup to his lips and took a small sip.
Naru felt his eyes widen a considerable amount. Either Lin had miraculously learned to make tea just the way he liked it, or…
He shot up from his desk, cup of tea still in hand, and opened his office door. He briskly walked towards the kitchen, unaware of a smirking Lin watching from his cracked open office door. As he entered the kitchen, he stopped. There she was, humming away like an idiot while she made tea. She must have heard him enter, for she turned and smiled the one smile that made Naru get a weird feeling in his stomach.
"Heya, Naru! Did you finish that cup already, you tea-loving, narcissist?"
Wow… this chapter is the longest yet… I think :P I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm almost to the point where the cases start, so be a little bit more patient… Thanks again for reading! I'll keep trying to update as fast as I can…
-Allikitty13 + Tuna =^.^=